Chapter 2.3

Question 1

EEG

Answer 1

electroencephalograph - a device for recording brain waves, typically by electrodes placed on the scalp

Question 2

CT scanning

Answer 2

computerized tomography - a computerized imaging technique that uses X-rays passed through the brain at various angles and then combined into an image

Question 3

PET scanning

Answer 3

positron emission tomography - an imaging technique that relies on the detection of radioactive sugar consumed by active brain cells

Question 4

MRI

Answer 4

magnetic resonance imaging - an imaging technique that relies on cells responses in a high-intensity magnetic field

Question 5

fMRI

Answer 5

functional magnetic resonance imaging - a new form of the MRI that records both brains structures and brain activity (combined form of the PET and MRI)

Question 6

brain stem

Answer 6

the most primitive of the brain’s three major layers. It includes the medulla, the pons, and the reticular formation

Question 7

medulla

Answer 7

a brain stem structure that controls breathing and heart rate.

Question 8

pons

Answer 8

a brain stem structure that regulates brain activity during sleep and dreaming

Question 9

reticular formation

Answer 9

a pencil-shaped structure forming the core of the brain stem. It arouses the cortex to keep the brain alert and attentive to new stimulation.

Question 10

thalamus

Answer 10

the brains central “relay station,” situated just on top of the brain stem,

Question 11

cerebellum

Answer 11

the little brain attached to the brain stem, responsible for coordinated movements

Question 12

limbic system

Answer 12

the middle layer of the brain, involved in emotion and memory, includes the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalmus, and other structures

Question 13

hippocampus

Answer 13

a component of the limbic system, involved in establishing long term memories

Question 14

amygdala

Answer 14

a limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression

Question 15

hypothalmus

Answer 15

the limbic system’s blood testing laboratory, constantly monitoring the blood to determine the condition of the body

Question 16

cerebral hemisphere

Answer 16

the large symmetrical halves of the brain located on top of the brain stem

Question 17

corpus callosum

Answer 17

the band of nerves cells connecting and establishing communication between the two cerebral hemispheres

Question 18

cerebral cortex

Answer 18

the thin gray matter covering the cerebral hemispheres, consisting of a 1/4 inch layer dense with cell bodies of neurons. It carries on the major portion of our “higher” mental processing, including thinking and perceiving.

Question 19

frontal lobes

Answer 19

cortical regions at the front of the brain, especially involved in movement and thinking

Question 20

motor cortex

Answer 20

a narrow vertical strip of cortex in the frontal lobes lying just in front of the central fissure; controls voluntary movement

Question 21

mirror neuron

Answer 21

a recently discovered class of neuron that fires in response to (mirror) observation of another person’s actions or emotions

Question 22

parietal lobes

Answer 22

cortical areas lying towards the back and top of the brain; involved in touch sensation and perceiving spatial relationships

Question 23

somatosensory cortex

Answer 23

a strip of parietal lobe lying just behind the central fissure, involved with the sensation of touch

Question 24

temporal lobes

Answer 24

cortical lobes that process sound, including speech, probably involved in storing long-term memories

Question 25

occipital lobes

Answer 25

cortical regions at the back of the brain that house the visual cortex

Question 26

visual cortex

Answer 26

visual processing areas of the cortex in the occipital and temporal lobes

Question 27

association cortex

Answer 27

cortical regions throughout the brain that combine information from various other parts of the brain

Question 28

cerebral dominance

Answer 28

the tendency of each brain hemisphere to exert control over different functions, such as language or perception of spatial relationships